


Smile

by ttbbhatter



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Deeper Meanings, F/M, Oneshot, Stress, busker, smile:)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 19:49:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10726038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttbbhatter/pseuds/ttbbhatter
Summary: A smile can mean so much more than what you might think.And a smile back can mean even more.





	Smile

**Author's Note:**

> HEYY! This story is for my one year on AO3! It's the 25th of April (also Anzac Day) here in Australia so yeah :). I originally made this account to play around with the characters of Miraculous and satisfy myself by making me feel like it was real but then it became a way for me to express feeling and emotion I needed to release.
> 
> In this story, I had other things planned but I wanted to also keep it simple. I apologise for the little details that were cut from their storyline potential but meh.
> 
> I also may not have represented elements that could've had more added to them but yeah. This story doesn't share the Hero element other fics do so I apologise if that was what you were looking for.
> 
> Thanks!

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The little street by the school was never the same after a little girl changed it. But what no one else would believe was that it all started with a smile.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The little girl who sat next to her best friend was never noticed. Sure she was the laughing stock of the school for a good while after drowning in embarrassment while admitting her crush to the blonde who rejected her but she eventually learned to stay low on the radar. She never wanted to talk again. She knew the conversation would only turn to her major fails. There was no way to communicate to others except for smiling. 

Everytime she saw someone, she perked her head up and smiled sweetly, even if the person didn't look. Her parents never thought anything about it and yet her best friend thought it was embarrassing. But her smile hid the true pain she hid beneath the surface.

Even though it was her own instinct to only smile, she suffered to crippling anxiety and often had panic attacks, even if there really was nothing to stress about. She regretted everything that could possibly have a bad outcome (pretty much everything). She'd never stop thinking about how wrong it was to say something that she realised wasn't the greatest thing to say. But her own motto was SMILE. So that's what she did, smiled through the pain. 

That's why people thought of her as a strong marshmallow, the marshmallow coming from her cuteness. But what people didn't know was as soon as she flopped down on her bed after returning home, she'd cry her eyes out, stressing herself out for what was to come. Of course no one knew, not even her parents because she'd shower the tears away. But it all gets to be too much sometimes. And she wasn't the only one who knew that. And yet, she thought she was.

She hid all of this pain for months, each month seeming like an entire year. And no one knew. Because no one approached her to ask how she was doing but that was a good thing because as soon as the word 'stress' is mentioned, she'd breakdown. But even her best friend started to avoid her, thinking she could leave her in the dust and move on to some cooler crowd.

Her smile would come so close to dying everyday but she'd keep the positivity until the very moment she would walk up the stairs into her room.

Everyday she said:

"What pile of books awaits me today."

Today, she had her French oral to study for, her suffragette study to research for and her biology assignment which she hardly understood was due in two days. 

She knew it wasn't her worst stack, in fact it had been a pretty chill amount but her stress tends to exaggerate the amount in her head all the time and when there's piles of books and stationary scattered around the room, you could imagine how fried her brain would be.

But she never let it bring her down.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

School.

Another day of maths, English, tech, art and etc.

Marinette had already accepted school was a must but golly she couldn't do anything about her stress. And it wasn't like anyone was going to talk to her about stress, they'd all think it's silly.

It was harder for her to take that stress knowing no one would understand.

People think stress is something minor and is just forgetting something at school.

It's more than that. It can cause depression, panic attacks and a variety of other feelings..

But people who don't have it cannot relate. That's why the shy little girl could never bring herself to tell anyone about it. 

But what she didn't know was that today wasn't like every other day no matter what she tried to tell herself.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"RING RING RING!

All students should be heading out to lunch!"

Physics... Finally finished. Marinette walked out of the class room with a frown plastered on her face. Sure she'd taught herself to smile but after an unplanned physics test, she couldn't help but frown. Thanks Mrs Clarinna.

She could see Adrien running up to her. Great. Let's reunite with the boy who destroyed Marinette shall we?

"Hey Marinette, you looked awfully sad in class today, you alright?" He asked once he was level with her.

She grumbled but she was better then ignoring him.

"I'm always like this Adrien but I guess thanks for asking".

She smiled at him as it was natural but then ran off to avoid having to communicate any longer.

After unlocking her locker to grab her lunch, she rushed to the bathrooms. She always ate there.

It was especially needed today though. Adrien speaking to her made her feel angry. His innocent voice saying no that day pierced her so deep. Everytime she heard his voice, the ghost of rejection that haunted her would come back and swallow her whole.

Even though in her heart she knew she was never good enough for him, Alya pushing her everyday made her sick and tired of having no hope. But she lost any hope she'd ever gained when he said no.  
But for her sake we won't flash back to that day.

His voice now wouldn't escape. She had unintentionally trapped it inside. It sure as heck got to her but what was she meant to do? 

Somehow memories came flooding back more vividly then ever before. They'd always come back when she heard his voice but never this clear. She remembered how she felt like she was garbage, being pushed down into depths she never knew were possible. Being stabbed by the sharpest knife. Falling off of the highest cliff. Drowning underwater.

Every bad feeling combined.

He used to light up her world but he was now worse than Hawk Moth.

"Tikki, spots on" she said, with no energy.

She could feel her tears forming and she had to get out of there.

'Not at school. You can break down at home but not at school Marinette.' She told herself.

As she swung out of the bathroom window into the fresh air, she wiped her tears away.

"I'm strong right now."

But she knew Ladybug wouldn't stop her from feeling emotion. She just had to have a taste of relief outside. The sensation of feeling like you don't have anything to worry about. 

The hero swung from building to building, air blowing through her hair and all.

But of course, her watch her parents bought her so she wouldn't be late to class vibrated crazily. She only had five minutes to get back to school and into English. Who knew how long she was swinging for and how far she went? 

She rushed back, forcing every muscle to move as fast as it could.  
Stress level : High

She looked at her watch.

1:30 PM.

Class had already started.  
Stress level : Super High

Eventually the school came into sight but Mr Rudnick wouldn't be pleased that Marinette was late, especially after going on an early streak. Unbelievable I know. 

As she swung back through the bathroom window, she detransformed and immediately ran to the classroom. She peeked into the window to see Mr Rudnick hadn't come to class yet. Phew.

She snuck in anyway as she believed that Chloe would rat her out. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day, she couldn't bring herself to smile. Everything had brought her down. 

FUN FACT: Chloe ratted Marinette out anyway! Fun times!

She walked down the street. 

She saw everyone she regularly saw. 

The divorced man waiting for his wife to come back. The busker who let his heart out in his songs. The homeless man on the street keeping hope to stay alive. The usual preschool group who were dibby dobbers but always made up.

This time she didn't smile though. She just walked past. 

She was trapped in her own world. Adrien's voice haunting her. Shadows swallowing her. Storms starting to form. 

But Adrien's direct approach made it a whole lot worse. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days passed. Same old routine just a little more... Sad. Never did the ends of her mouth curl up into a smile. They either stayed straight or bent down. 

But today was different. And as I am the narrator, I can say it was definitely for the better.

As she passed down the street this time, everyone looked sadder then usual. Over the past few days, their happiness had died down with Marinette's. 

However, as she walked past the busker, she stopped to listen to his new tune. The past few days, he hadn't performed anything which saddened her mood even more. 

He strummed a few notes on his vintage guitar before softly singing his new lyrics.

"As she smiles at me, it gives me light for tomorrow,  
But when she walks past without a look, I'm clouded by sorrow.  
The sadness on her face makes the street sad too,  
The darkness that has fallen on this street is something new"

He continued to slowly sing along to his song. Marinette was aware this 'she' was her. But she never was aware of what her smiles did to these people. It wasn't just to be polite. For some, it was hope. These little things that you might not notice yourself, can matter so much to someone. She did what she had to do. 

She smiled. At everyone on the street. As much pain she was in a few days ago, everyone here lit up her world brighter than it had ever been.

But of course she saw Adrien coming down the street. He had always come down the street but Marinette normally had left earlier and he'd go later. She wanted to keep listening though so she planted her feet in the ground. As he walked past, he stopped. 

"Marinette, everyone on this street has told me you haven't been the happiest lately, but I can see that your mood has changed now." He said while wearing his biggest smile. 

Marinette had expected something different. She didn't know what she expected but it was definitely different. She smiled bigger.

"Marinette, I'm glad you're smiling again, you're prettier when you're smiling" he said while walking away and waving at the back. 

She blushed in shock. Even if he broke her heart, she understood why she liked him. 

Then Nino came running past but stopped when he saw me.

"Mari, did Adrien tell you that you were prettier when you were smiling?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Oh my Grill, he saw you watching the busker and planned the whole thing. That kid is dedicated to getting you back for the rejection!"

"Say what now?!"

"Adrien likes y-- oh wait I shouldn't tell you!! Gotta blast!" 

Marinette giggled in delight. Now she could play with his feelings. Obviously not too harshly, she realised she still liked him but as of now, she bathed in the happiness that flooded the street.

Her smile changed these people's lives in some way. Who knew what light it gave them. 

And their gifts back (the song) lifted her to get through her stress. It would never go away, but their support helped a lot.

Marinette loved that street. She loved the people. 

And that's why everyday, she smiled.

Stress Level: 0.1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I will continue my other story abut just wanted to post this today. 
> 
> also tomorrow is my one year for my first published fanfic 'The Cat on the Catwalk' but I felt I could acknowledge that here instead of not addressing it or creating something new for it. 
> 
> Also I deeply apologise for my TERRIBLE songwriting skills. Okay that's it from me!
> 
> It is also Anzac Day though.  
> A day to remember those who died for what we have now.  
> Lest we forget. 
> 
> ❤️


End file.
